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From its inception, the U.S. criminal legal system has been a site of discrimination and violence for LGBTQ people, particularly those of color, who are disproportionately policed, prosecuted, and punished on the basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation and/or gender identity. It is also a system that many LGBTQ people have turned to in order to seek safety from violence motivated by homophobia and transphobia, only to be abandoned or further violated and traumatized by the very actors they believe are there to serve and protect them. This entry describes how LGBTQ people have been historically criminalized, and highlights the ways and contexts in which they continue to be targeted by police and punished in the courts on the basis of their sexual ...